


Legendary to All, Immortal to None

by GoldieClaws



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Oneshot, Original Character(s), Original Non-Binary Character - Freeform, Original Non-Human Character(s) - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:27:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22317073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldieClaws/pseuds/GoldieClaws
Summary: A few years have passed since Cor’s failed fight against the warrior Gilgamesh. Up to now, he’s been able to keep the entire ordeal secret, even from his most trusted friends. Life is relatively easy, with Cor furthering his friendship with Regis and his duty as the King’s bodyguard to keep himself distracted.However, he quickly learns how suddenly the past can catch up on you. And apparently it comes in the form of an equally legendary and dangerous monster.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Legendary to All, Immortal to None

**Author's Note:**

> (This has been in my drafts an ungodly amount of time bc I screwed up the timeline and wrote King Mors into the plot when he’s technically dead. I’m very much dumb of ass)
> 
> So, to the surprise of no one, I wanted to have a bit of fun with all the information regarding Cor when he decided to challenge Gilgamesh. Obviously, this is a pretty big canon divergence, but the idea of Cor getting caught in a lie was really interesting to me (place your bets on if this has already been covered, since I only bought FFXV last year during the summer lmao).
> 
> And since I happen to have a very strong boi who can appear in the FFXV universe, I thought I’d use Aldrich as the catalyst for everything that’s about to happen in this oneshot. Good luck Cor, you’ll need it.

Cor leaned back in his chair, eyes closed as he listened to the music playing on the radio. It was rare nowadays for him to get a moment of peace, especially as Regis was still in the process of having his rights as king passed over to him since his father’s death. For all Cor knew, this could go on for a good few years to come and any quiet time between Regis and his friends would be short lived. Either way, it’s not like he could argue against it.

Still lost in his own thoughts, Cor looked over to the calendar on his left. His eyes came to rest on one particular date, then widened in surprise.

_ Had it really been four years already? _ He thought, his mind suddenly snapping out of his daydream. He stood up and walked over to the calendar.

Nope! His eyes hadn’t been deceiving him. It had indeed been that long since his fateful and short lived encounter with the legendary Gilgamesh. 

Cor sighed deeply.

He’d been so involved in his work with helping the King he hadn’t even noticed. He certainly never thought he’d get this far without someone somehow uncovering the truth either. He supposed there was some relief in knowing the trial was considered certain death by all. How else would someone catch him in this lie when all those before him hadn’t been fortunate enough to escape? He’d been very careful with keeping the truth hidden. The idea of finally revealing it all to someone was now nothing more than wishful thinking. 

Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door, making him jump.

“What is it?” Cor demanded.

The muffled voice of one of the guards could be heard from outside.

“You’ve been called for an audience with the King, sir. It’s extremely urgent.” The guard sounded nervous as he spoke, prompting Cor to open the door properly.

He half-expected to see a younger person greet him, judging by their tone, but instead it was an older gentleman. Cor could practically hear a faint rattling from the man’s armour, he was shaken up so badly. For one of the older guards to appear as petrified as he was, Cor could already tell this was something that required his immediate attention.

“Do you know what for?” He asked.

The guard took in a shaking breath, as though he still couldn’t believe what he was about to say.

“The Dread King is close to entering our borders, sir. We think it may appear any minute now.”

Cor froze when he heard that name, thoughts of Gilgamesh now buried once more.

_ Oh no. Of all creatures and monsters in the world, why  _ them?

* * *

Regis was busy studying a large map of his kingdom with a number of guards by his side when Cor finally entered the room. Cor bowed politely when Regis eventually acknowledged him.

“You requested my presence, Your Majesty?”

“Ah, Cor!” Regis smiled happily, his looks of anxiousness quickly fading upon seeing his trusted associate had appeared. “Please, have a seat.”

Cor set himself down at the table, quietly fearing what Regis would have to say about their current situation.

The King readjusted his collar and cleared his throat.

“As I’m sure you’re all aware, our men have caught sightings of The Dread King approaching us from the East. They’ve been travelling at an alarming pace and it seems our electrical and fire traps have done nothing to slow them down. Unfortunately, our military weapons are also ineffective, as they refuse to travel by air. For now, I’ve ordered everyone to hold fire as they’ve been passing through relatively populated areas. We can’t risk injuring the Behemoth and them lashing out, possibly killing hundreds of innocents.”

Regis paused to allow the information to sink in. Cor looked down at the photos on the table, showing the beast’s path. They seemed to be making a bee line for the Crown City, making his stomach drop.

He was well aware of how The Dread King was a particularly infamous Behemoth that had been wandering the lands of Eos for many years, even before Cor himself was born. Somehow, despite their enormous size, they were frightfully good at disappearing and reappearing all over the world, with no clear structure or plan. Naturally, no one knew where they came from or how they even came to exist. They were the only recorded Dread Behemoth in all of history. And this time, they had appeared completely out of the blue once more, clearly dead set on a mission known only to The Dread King themselves.

Cor had been only twelve when the Behemoth had last appeared. They had torn through a settlement up in the mountains like it was nothing, sending debris flying and throwing people to their deaths onto the sharp cliffs below, staining them red with a seemingly endless stream of blood and gore. Apparently you could still find ripped organs and bloodied carcasses that the animals of the mountain had been too fearful to touch, grim reminders of a sudden and unexpected tragedy. If you returned to that same spot, you would have no idea a building of any kind had been placed there. The Dread King had wiped it clean.

But Cor had a feeling, deep in his gut, that that hadn’t been a random attack as everyone believed. He may have no proof to further his theory of course, but there was something about The Dread King’s actions that felt… deliberate and calculated. That settlement had been hidden away, with no one but supposedly a chosen few knowing of its existence until its eventual destruction. Did the beast have reasons? Or did a feeling of unstoppable bloodlust need to be soothed in one of the most gruesome ways possible?

Maybe now, they were heading to Insomnia with a plan to bring the royal line of Lucis to their feet. Or maybe they just wished to tear through the streets, striking down all in their way. No one ever knew what they would do until they arrived, only that they were like the immortal Reaper arriving to collect his bounty.

“Now,” Regis said, dragging everyone’s attention back to him, “we do have another plan in order.” He looked to Cor, and already Cor could feel his heart start to race.

Regis stretched out a hand and pointed to him.

“A convoy has been prepared to meet The Dread King in the centre of the plains, where no homes or civilians will be injured. With Cor’s masterful skills and leadership, we should be able to injure the monster badly enough to drive them back.”

Cor breathed out sharply.

“With… All due respect Your Majesty, how do you expect us to take down such a powerful beast?” Cor asked, trying not to allow his nerves to get the better of him.

Regis laughed, then walked over to Cor, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“You’re Cor The Immortal, aren’t you? After you faced down that trial, anything is possible to you.”

Regis’ grip tightened and Cor could tell he was trying to put on a brave face, not just for his trusted followers, but for himself as well. The Dread King had never directly attacked Lucian forces, let alone come anywhere near the Crown City, and it would take everything in his power to keep himself from being crushed by the weight of the situation.

“I will be joining you Cor, as I need someone to drive me to said convoy so I can give the order to strike the Dread King down. I don’t want to risk having our communication interrupted and we miss a perfect opportunity to turn any potential fighting in our favour. News of the Dread King has travelled quickly in the past and if people start to panic, it could do more damage than what that monster plans on dealing. We… Will have to travel alone however, so as not to draw The Dread King’s attention.”

Abruptly, Regis turned to his guards positioned by the doorway.

“Be sure to have the shelters prepared. This news has been sudden but I want everyone to keep a level head about this. We can’t risk any life threatening slip-ups. For all we know, this beast may very much wish to overstay their welcome.”

* * *

Cor held the Regalia’s driving wheel in an iron grip, trying his best to keep his focus on the road that stretched out for miles in front of him. They’d only been driving for twenty minutes or so, but already he was shifting in his seat, agitated.

“Heard anything new on the radio?” Cor asked, trying to distract himself from what awaited him. Regis shrugged, his kingly persona no longer needed in the presence of a friend.

“Not yet.”

Cor sucked in air through his teeth.

His mind had been stuck thinking about The Dread King ever since he heard their name this morning. And to his frustration, memories of his trial were rearing its ugly head, trapping him in an endless loop of reliving his failure once more.

Was the beast somehow affecting him? That would probably be completely absurd, if it weren’t for the fact that he’d never been this nervous before, especially when he thought back to his fight with Gilgamesh every once and awhile. Maybe the stress of everything was starting to take its toll. The sensation of a thousand eyes watching him was creeping its way up his back, making him shiver.

For all he knew, the beast was capable of looking into his mind and would try to break him down until he finally admitted everything to someone, anyone.

Suddenly, the radio crackled to life.

“Convoy to Regalia! Convoy to Regalia! Please respond!”

Regis picked it up and held it close.

“This is King Regis, I hear you.”

“Y-your Majesty, The Dread King has altered course. It’s not aiming for Insomnia anymore.”

Regis and Cor looked at one another.

“Is it leaving?” Regis asked.

“No, it’s…” There was a frustratingly long pause before the person finally spoke up again. “It’s heading right for you, sir.”

They barely had a chance to respond when an almighty tremor shook through the car, lifting the front of the Regalia clean off the ground before it came crashing down with an almighty crunch, popping the front tires and crushing part of the metal framework. Already Cor could see white smoke start to billow out from under the hood. He knew without having to look that the car’s engine had been shot to hell, rendering it as useless as the tires.

Regis cursed loudly and looked around wildly for the radio, but it had somehow disappeared in the short amount of time between the announcement and tremor.

Cor raised himself up out of his chair to look at everything around him. The ground and road around them had been badly damaged as well, cracked and torn apart beyond belief. They were stranded. Cor looked behind him to see if that part of the road had been spared so that they at least had some kind of escape, then felt his blood turn to ice.

The Dread King themselves was already here, holding Cor in a ferocious stare that only the gods of old could hope to match. Those white eyes were already burning deep holes into him, making him shiver. 

“Cor! I found-!” Regis spun around and froze, the radio pathetically falling from his hand into the back seat with a loud  _ thunk _ .

Now acknowledged by them both, the beast’s lips peeled back into a snarl, their gigantic yellowed fangs now proudly on display. Cor eyed up the man-sized canines as they glistened with saliva. It was becoming frightfully apparent that any hope of winning would be incredibly slim. Only a miracle like no other would save them now.

Before Cor could stop him, Regis moved to grab his weapon. With an ear splitting roar, the now angered Dread King raised up onto their back legs, one paw outstretched. Cor barely had time to grab his own weapon and dive free from the Regalia when the Behemoth came crashing down, utterly demolishing the vehicle under their weight. Glass and metal went flying as Cor rolled out of danger, cutting his hands and face on the now sharpened ground. He had no idea if Regis was safe, and fumbled to his feet in the hopes he wouldn’t be met with the bloodied remains of his former King.

A fiery explosion shot through the air, striking the Behemoth on one side of their face. A deep, frustrated growl rose in their throat and they turned their head towards Regis, their mane now covered in burning embers.

Cor breathed a sigh of relief, then squared his shoulders and tightened his grip on his sword. They’d need to stay on either side of the beast and ensure the Behemoth didn’t have a moment to strike. Regis must have blinded it with that attack, opening up a small window for Cor to make his move.

The head and wings were too high for him to damage, but their legs were his for the taking. He’d need to attack the back legs as swiftly as he could, cutting through their thick hide and slicing their Achilles’ Heel if possible. As long as he stayed in the beast’s blind spot he could attack without warning and hopefully,  _ hopefully,  _ impede their movements.

Cor took a deep breath and charged, striking against the Behemoth’s ankles with as much power as he could muster. Regis saw this and struck the beast again, this time with a lightning bolt, to keep them distracted. The creature howled in anger, slamming down on the ground with its mighty paw in an attempt to stop Regis’ attacks.

Cor sliced back and forth once, twice, three times, but the beast’s skin was like iron, making Cor’s sword spark with each strike but leaving no damage at all.

The ground rumbled as the Behemoth’s body suddenly sunk deeper into the earth as they prepared an attack. With shocking speed, they leapt towards Regis who narrowly escaped being crushed by the beast’s jaws. The King could feel the air around him go silent as he realised he was close enough to touch the Behemoth. The space around him crackled slightly with dangerous energy. Cor could feel it too.

They then spun in place, Cor struggling to remain out of reach of the beast’s talons as they attempted to strike Regis down with their horns and then their tail. Whilst he was lucky enough to dodge the sharp horns, the fin on the beast’s tail caught him off guard, striking Regis and sending him flying. Cor watched in horror as the King was sent flying and as he hit the ground, there was an audible snap of bone breaking. The poor man screamed in agony.

“REGIS!!” Cor called out and ran to his friend’s rescue.

In response, the Behemoth dragged a paw against the ground, dredging up dirt and mud and very nearly skewering Cor on the end of their talons. The beast lowered their head to see the damage and Cor took the opportunity to pounce.

He ran forwards without a moment of hesitation and grabbed ahold of their red mane, the smell of burnt fur filling his lungs, making his eyes water. Cor’s hand was now slick with sweat as he tried to aim for the beast’s eye with his sword, but they responded to his futile attempts by shaking their head to and fro so wildly, Cor thought his arm was going to ripped from its socket and he would be sent tumbling to the ground below. But he needed to be stubborn and strong, for himself and for Regis. 

Underneath the Behemoth’s roars and bellows as they stomped about in anger, Cor could just about hear Regis’ voice.

“DO IT COR! STRIKE THEM DOWN WHILST YOU HAVE THE CHANCE!”

Desperately, Cor tried to find his footing on the creature’s face but the violent shaking threw him off each time. Already his hand was growing tired and starting to slip.

“NOW COR, NOW!”

Knowing there would be no use in waiting for the perfect opportunity to wound the Behemoth, Cor gripped his sword as tightly as he could, shut his eyes, and struck his opponent with as much force as he could muster.

Yet, he was not greeted by the satisfaction of feeling the blade dig deep into flesh or a spray of hot, stinking blood colouring him red.

Instead, he heard what sounded like glass breaking and a pained gasp from Regis down below.

Cor opened his eyes.

And saw that his sword had been snapped in two, the other end of the blade caught firmly between the beast’s jaws.

A new wave of fear took over as he glanced up at the ever watchful eye of The Dread King.

No words had to be said. He knew he had lost.

Suddenly, The Behemoth shook their head one last time and send Cor flying. The world around him spun until he finally hit the ground like a meteor. Pain shot through his right leg and he screamed as he too heard and felt the familiar sensation of bone snapping. His eyes were now filled with tears as he dared to open them to see the damage.

His wounded leg lay in an awkward position before him, the bone having torn not just through his skin, but through his clothing as well. Blood was already soaking his clothes and the ground around him as he lay there in agony.

How had he not passed out from the pain? This hurt on such an immeasurable level, it should have downed even the mightiest of warriors.

He looked over to Regis, who was also somehow still conscious despite having a broken arm that was bent at an impossible angle. The two looked into each other’s eyes for a moment before finally turning to their destructive adversary.

The Behemoth opened their jaws and let the sword’s remains fall to the ground. The air around them seemed to rattle and shake and they looked up. Cor followed their gaze.

The clouds were quickly darkening, turning the sky a deep red. They began to swirl like that of a growing tornado, seemingly sucking in all the light from all around them and turning the world beyond pitch black, Now, The Dread King began to glow too, showering the two in a red, ominous light.

Both Cor and Regis knew far too well what was about to happen.

The beast stood up onto its hind legs once more, making the air crackle and spit with the unseen presence of electricity. Cor could feel it against his skin, pushing him down against the earth, threatening to smother him. The Behemoth’s jaws opened and they let out a loud, violent roar that shook both men to their very core.

Regis turned to Cor for what he believed would be the last time.

“WHY DID YOU MISS, COR?!” Regis yelled frantically into the wind, not knowing when the meteors would start to drop. “YOU’RE MY FINEST, ALWAYS HAVE BEEN! DID YOUR TRIAL TEACH YOU NOTHING?!”

“YES IT DID, I JUST-!”

“WE’RE GOING TO DIE HERE, COR! LOOK AT US!” Regis leaned towards him and Cor felt his heart shake at the absolute fear and hopelessness in his eyes. What little faith he had in Cor was gone, now just replaced with a hesitant acceptance for what was about to happen.

The sky was filled with an unnatural, ethereal light as though the sun itself had magnified in intensity, making Cor’s skin burn. The wind picked up in speed, sending stray chunks of earth flying and hitting Cor and Regis like dirty, aggressive grenades.

Cor took a deep, shaky breath.

The Behemoth had changed its course deliberately to find them both.

Or maybe, just to find him.

Maybe it did want the truth or maybe it didn’t.

Maybe it was as intelligent as everyone said or it was in fact just a mindless beast with an appetite for destruction.

Either way, he was going to go to his grave with his King, his friend, believing a lie he had weaved for no one’s benefit but his own.

If saying all of this was destined to be his last words, then so be it.

“REGIS!” He yelled.

“WHAT?!”

Cor felt his heart stop before he spoke. It was truly now or never.

“I… ADMIT TO NEVER FINISHING THE TRIAL!”

...

Silence.

Complete and utter silence.

There was no sound of hurtling meteors crashing into the ground. No explosions of thunder and lightning. No deep, bellowing roars from The Dread King. It felt as though the world had suddenly been transported to a soundless, unfeeling vacuum.

Cor slowly opened his eyes, looking up at the Behemoth in confusion.

They still stood on their back legs, watching him. The red sky slowly changed to grey as a heavy rain started, quickly soaking Cor and Regis.

With a rattling sigh, The Dread King brought themselves back to all fours, making Cor jump. The two’s eyes met once more and he was surprised to see that their snarl had vanished. The beast’s air of majesty and fear hadn’t disappeared for a moment, far from it. But somehow, it felt as though the monster had finally gotten what they were after.

He didn’t know how long he lay there, looking up this gigantic monster that could very easily crush him without a moment's hesitation. With jaws large enough to swallow him whole.

Was it after something else? Did it plan on killing him regardless? Had the lie been going on for far too long and Cor now required a just punishment?

Finally, he got his answer.

With startling grace, The Dread King turned away with a loud huff, finally freeing the two from their stare. The glow from their eyes and body began to fade, leaving small trails of light in their wake. Its almighty tail slowly swept from side to side as it flapped its wings once, twice, then shot into the air with terrific speed. Cor buried the remains of his sword deep in the ground to keep him in place so the wind didn’t carry him away, with Regis grabbing ahold of his jacket for dear life, his body lifting off the ground for a moment before crashing back down to earth. The beast let out a long, rumbling howl as it flew off towards the unknown, its shape growing distant in the swirling clouds and driving rain.

Then, as suddenly they had appeared, The Dread King was gone, disappearing from sight as their voice still echoed through the mountains.

* * *

Cor was woken up by the sound of something beeping. He tried to shake his head, but his body felt too tired to move. Slowly, he opened his eyes and was quickly blinded by various bright lights.

Was he in hospital?

Groaning, he forced his head to one side and examined everything around him with a strained expression. His vision was still clouded but he could just about make out a table covered in various pill bottles and liquids. He instantly regretted that motion when his head started to swim and the world started spinning.

He jumped slightly when he felt two hands place themselves on either side of his head and put him back to his original position.

“Don’t worry, Cor. You’re safe back in Insomnia.” Said a soft voice.

Cor tried to say something, but was quickly silenced.

“King Regis is safe. His arm has healed faster than your leg. And don’t worry, you haven’t lost it by any means. You’ll just need extra rest and medication is all.”

The ball of dread that had been growing in Cor’s chest now disappeared, allowing him to relax.

However, he couldn’t help but wonder what Regis now thought of him: one of his most trusted colleagues and friends. Perhaps he would be exiled, or forced to work somewhere so tucked away, he’d be quickly forgotten. No doubt his name would be scrubbed from the history books.

The fear of it all should have scared him, but for whatever reason it didn’t. The idea of someone finding out the truth had affected him far more than all this could have and in its own way, felt like a great weight off his shoulders.

In the end, he and The Dread King had gotten what they wanted: the truth.


End file.
